Tanjoobi Omedetoo, KasumiChan
by kochan1
Summary: Kasumi has been given a chance at life outside the clan and is in the process of settling in. But things aren't always as smooth as one expects, especially when she receives an unexpected visitor.


**Disclaimer:** Don't own Tecmo or any of the 3 chars blah blah. Of course plot is mine *^^* 

**Tanjoobi Omedetoo, Kasumi-Chan  
By Kochan**

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You will always be inside my heart   
Itsu mo anata dake no basho ga aru kara   
I hope that I have a place in your heart too   
Now and forever you are still the one   
Ima wa mada kanashii love song   
Atarashii uta utaeru made   
  
**First Love - Hikaru Utada**   
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An ice cream parlour wasn't the most prestigious place to be working in but work was work. One could hope for little out of the hospitality industry at 17. The store was an array of Neapolitan pinks and browns streaked through with flourescent whites while cutish anime puppies and teddies were splashed over the walls. Kasumi inhaled deep and took in the fresh baked waffle aroma, a smile curving at the edges of her lips. This was a peaceful existence; one where she'd never have to fear about having to take someone elses life. 

She wiped down a small spot on her soft pink blouse, ensuring she didn't mark the matching skirt. A quick shuffle of the cadet style cap upon her head in the mirrored sidewall before giving her own image a nod of approval. It didn't matter whether she was here, in the forest or even home; Always Kasumi took pride in her uniform, just like she did her Gi. 

It had been a busy Saturday: First had come the hordes of little ones with their parents and Kasumi had seen to it that the children left laughing and contented. Then the teens had flocked in, filling the place with excited chatter and gushing gossip as they crammed down thick shakes and triple flavour cones. Now, there was only the occasional couple that strayed in from the street in search of a double cone to share. For most, This Saturday would had been normal. But for Kasumi, the 22nd of February was also her birthday. She'd received a pocket compact from her colleague Miki but otherwise, none of her new friends knew of this. Recollections of past birthdays begin to resurface but she closed her mind to them, knowing the memories would only unsettle her heart. 

Kasumi set to cleaning up for the night as her shift was coming to a close, humming a catchy Japanese pop tune as the mop swished over the tiled floor in rhythm. Miki joined her, wiping down the refridgerators with a damp cloth. The happy go lucky theme on the infra-red door chime sounded and Kasumi turned to greet the customer with the combination of a gentle bow, a bright smile and her cheery girlish voice. 

"Irrashaimase! (Welcome) I'm sorry but we're..." her words caught in her throat as shock took hold. That coat, the scarf, "Hayate nii-sa..." , she began, eyes coming wide. But then recognition dawned as she took in his visage. Still, she was surprised, "Hayabusa-san. Please forgive me, I thought you were...ah..." 

Ryu met her eyes with his own, warmth and reassurance there. "Have you some time, Kasumi-san?" came the deep masculinity of his voice. 

"Ano...I'm not sure If I..." Kasumi whispered as she looked to Miki and was met with a grin laced with mischief. 

"Oh she's got plenty of time. I'll close up and you folks be on your way now. Here's your purse, Kasumi and I'll see you tomorrow at 11 ok? Nice to meet you mister! Bye!" Before Kasumi knew it, they'd both been ushered out, the sliding doors latched and the security grill lowered. 

"Oh! My jacket!" Kasumi said as she made to rap on the metallic grill. But then the warmth of his scarf came draped about her neck, the comfortable weight of his coat settling on her shoulders. 

The girl blinked as she looked up, shaking her head, "Yada (I shouldn't)...Hayabusa-san will be cold." 

"I'll be fine, Kasumi-san." Ryu smiled his smug smile, then offered his arm. "Now...shall we?" 

She couldn't help the blush and embarassed nod as she slipped a hesitant arm about his own, "Where...ano...where are we going?" Kasumi asked in a gentle tone as they stepped off. 

"I know a place." Ryu stated with that signature confidence in his voice. He glanced sidelong at her a moment before reaching over to pick off her cap. 

Kasumi gave him a gentle smile and another shy nod as he returned it to her. She reached back to free her hair from the bun holding it in place into a ribbon-clad ponytail. Feeling at ease now, she leaned a little more against him as they continued on. 

Perhaps this night would be different after all... 

**** 

They spoke about themselves as they walked through the chilled winter night; Kasumi about her new schooling and casual work life at Kurashiki, Ryu about his Curio store and the similarities and differences between their customers. He was careful to steer the conversation away from anything that had to do with the Shinobi life. 

Before long, they'd reached Tivoli Park: The grand reconstruction of the original park in Copenhagen, Denmark on an almost 1 to 1 scale. Even at this hour, there were yet a few patrons within; The majority were couples as most families had already left for home. Ryu led them towards the Anderson Hall auditorium at the rear of the park. 

He looked about, noting the other couples walking as they did, slung arm in arm. "Have you met any boys at school that you like, Kasumi-San?" he asked in a clear voice, ensuring there was no ambiguity to the question. 

Silence came over her and she dropped her gaze, signs that she was deep in though. "I...I have a few friends who are boys. Some of them have asked me...if I want to date." Kasumi's voice was only just audible as she answered the next question in his mind. 

Ryu smiled, pleased at the comment, "Do you like any of them? Have you accepted?" 

Kasumi paused a moment again as an idle finger rose to stroke her hair behind her ear, "Miki-Chan is so protective over me at school, she always tells them to stop bothering me." The laughter in her eyes accompanied the soft giggle from her lips, "They're all children; Boys trying to act like men. It is so funny sometimes." The way she said this made her seem so like a woman, even moreso than Irene at times. Yet there was the innocent girlishness that she masked it with, light and fresh to charm and seduce without intention. "Iie (No), I don't want to date, Hayabusa-san. I'm happy with my friends." she finished with a slow shake of her head. 

At a bow from the Usher they entered the auditorium with another couple and a family of four. After brief instructions from the staff, the automated puppet show began and they sat through the most famed tales of Hans Christian Anderson voice recorded in Japanese. 

**** 

All they could hear were the excited voices of the children about how cute the puppets were as they left the auditorium. Ryu watched her, her head dipped once again in thought. "It's amazing, all those puppets." he stated, breaking the silence. "The entire show is all electronically operated and recorded. The music, the voices, the characters...everything. The only people present are the ushers." 

Kasumi nodded with a soft 'mm' as her affirmation, "The children don't know any different. I think I prefer people to be doing the puppet show though. It's different, special every time. There is more feeling in it ne?" 

The Shinobi accompanied his grin with a chuckle, "So easy these days. We're constantly replacing tradition and culture with technology." He shook his head, then turned to her with a sparkle in his eyes, "I liked the story of the Emperor and his new clothes; Such power to be able to deceive others by using their own arrogance and pride against them." 

Kasumi looked up, returning a smile of her own, "I loved the story of the Mermaid." her eyes gazed out into the distance, "She saved the prince and loved him with all her heart. But he doesn't know and she can't tell him. So sad." 

"Perhaps I think for the mind while Kasumi-san thinks for the heart ne?" Ryu's eyebrows arched as he flashed her another grin. 

"Irene Onee-san thinks from the mind as well ne? Maybe that is why Hayabusa-san gets on so well with her and loves her so much." she smiled, meaning well. But guilt surfaced from deep within him as he found himself in conflict. Irene knew nothing of this and innocent as his time with his best friend's sister was, Ryu couldn't help but feel he was deceiving his own wife. 

They passed by the arcade and she let out a soft 'ehh', peering within a UFO catcher cabinet ouside. "The girls at school say the usual rule of a Japanese date is that the boy has to get a girl a doll from a machine just like this. That is how they prove their worth ne?" she smiled at him. 

The Hayabusa Shinobi rolled up his sleeves before cracking his knuckles as he flashed her a playful wink. After all, how could a school boy compare to a Super Ninja of his calibre? 

**** 

"Those machines will bankrupt the country!" Ryu cried as he was dragged from the arcade quite plushie-less. Kasumi had one hand about his wrist, the other clamped over her mouth to stifle her laughs. He rolled his eyes; How could she just smile and giggle away when that contraption had robbed him of 3000 yen in less than 5 minutes!? "This den is worse than the Pachinko parlours! It's Outrageous! How can the Prime Minister and cabinet just stand by and let these vendors prey on the unsuspecting?" he demanded with an exasperated wave of his free arm. 

"Maybe they are only meant for children?" she released him with a giggle when they were a safe distance from the arcade. 

He stood poised with another political outburst on the edge of his tongue...but her warm smile, her laughing eyes, the way she stood with her hands clasped behind her as she swayed on her toes: Ryu found himself defused, letting out the tension with a sigh. It was then that he noticed the Ferris wheel a short distance away. He posed the question with a gentle tilt of his head and an arch of an eyebrow. Kasumi hesitated a moment, the smile fading for the briefest moment before she looked up and nodded, "Mm...Ikimasho (Ok, I'll come)." 

The red-uniformed usher seemed a little surprised at another two patrons this late in the night but smiled and waved them through nonetheless. The cabin was cold, the seats no less comfortable. Kasumi chose to kneel upon one of the facing benches to take in the view. Ryu peered over her shoulder, watching the park opening up before them. 

"Ahh...Sugoi (Wonderful)." came her soft whisper, fingers stroking her hair back over her shoulder in an idle motion. Her scent was intoxicating at this proximity and Ryu found his thoughts beginning to wander. The soft, innocent features of this untainted creature were only just illminated in the glow from outside the cabin. Those Hazel eyes, never shifting from the lights tapering out below somehow made him wish that he could do something to ease the source of the cruel pain that plagued her within. It was strange, but there was a certain poetic beauty about the sorrow that Kasumi couldn't mask no matter how hard she tried. Yet perhaps it was this that accounted for the magnetic attraction that the girl possesed. 

Ryu leaned in closer, body close enough to brush against Kasumi's from behind as his hands came to rest against the seat frame on either side of her form. There was the part of her neck that was exposed, coupled with the sparkle from her crystal earrings that roused desire within him. Desire, to embrace her in this position. Desire, to kiss at her throat. Desire that he fought at every turn. And just as he feared, Kasumi's eyes glanced back as her head turned the slightest, "Hayabusa-san?" came the soft whisper, tinged with concern. 

The Shinobi tore himself from the unmistakable lust burning within, the very thought shaking his being for the moment before he found his voice again. "What...what do you see, Kasumi-san?" 

He was glad for the smile she returned; if Kasumi had noticed his one moment of weakness she'd been kind enough not to mention it. "Hotaru (Fireflies)...in a fantasy world." she said. "They shine at night, then dissapear in the day. Thoughts are the same ne? They are so strong for one moment, then dissapear during the next. Shortlived." The same habit as her brother, speaking as though she were composing a Haiku. 

Ryu frowned, taking a step back, feeling the comment eat into him like acid as he cursed the one inappropriate thought, the one stray firefly he'd allowed to stray, "So desu ne...(So it is)." he conceded. The silence hung in the air like a thickened fog for the remainder of the ride. 

He could find nothing to say for several moments after exiting the ride. But it was Kasumi that broke the ice first. "I saw a lake after we came out from the theatre. Can we go there, Hayabusa-san?" she asked, eyes brightening again. 

"We can go anywhere you like, Kasumi-san. It's your birthday, no?" but he regretted the words as soon as they left his lips, noticing her gaze drop and her smile fade. 

She wanted to go home, to her clan, her family. 

"This way." Ryu said with a nod as he lead her towards the centre of the park, chiding himself in silence for letting his tongue slip. 

**** 

The wind caressed over the dark satin mirror that was Tivoli lake, rippling the flouresent water image of Anderson Hall for a majestic wave-like effect. They stood against the small fence that formed the perimeter in silence. Kasumi had been quiet for a few minutes by now and Ryu knew that there was only one thing left on her mind. 

"Hayabusa-san?" came her dulcet voice at last. 

The Shinobi took a deep breath, already half guessing what it was she was about to ask. "Mm?" 

"Hayate Nii-san..." she confirmed his fears. "Why didn't he come tonight?" Her gaze didn't shift from across the lake as she spoke. 

Ryu settled his own upon the water, watching the waves lap at the concrete edge. He knew just what he was to say, but now that the moment had come he struggled to get the words out. "Your brother...was sent to Shikoku on a mission." The lie was the easy part. "He wanted me to come tonight to be with you in his place." he bit his lip, hating himself for what he'd just said. 

She attempted to mask her feelings with a deep intake of breath, but Ryu could see the utter dissapointment in her eyes. "Arigatou Hayabusa-san." He could almost hear her heart breaking as Kasumi let out a sigh and tried without success to force a smile, "So sorry to trouble you ne?" the girl whispered as she turned from him. 

"No trouble." he felt numb within and had no doubt his words sounded the same. "Your brother also asked for me to pass you this." Ryu offered the small box that Hayate had given to him before. 

Kasumi's gaze came lowered to hide her misted eyes as she reached out a shaking hand to accept the box. Sliding it open revealed a light pink ribbon draped around a small black feather. "Kirei...(It's beautiful)" she whispered. Ryu couldn't tell if the smile that crossed her lips this time was genuine, but he had no doubt about the tear that slid down her cheek before she wiped it away. "Thank you for bringing this." she managed in a shaking voice. 

A moment passed before Kasumi spoke again, "Arigatou (Thank you) for tonight, Hayabusa-San. I had a wonderful time." Ryu knew she wasn't telling the whole truth; Tonight had left her far more wounded than she would have been had he not come. 

They embraced, her body trembling as she held back more tears. In another time, another place, were circumstances different, he might have offered this young girl a choice in her life...but this was her fate, and even as a Shinobi he was powerless against it. This was how it had to be now. 

"I'll take you back to your apartment." Ryu whispered, his own heart heavy as his fingers stroked through her hair. 

_'Be strong, Kasumi-san.'_

**** 

The snow was getting heavier and Hayate knew it was unusual for this much of it this late in the season. The void inside him was expanding; a non threatening uneasiness that no amount of concentration and deep breathing could overcome...strange. Half the night in the cafe across the street and his waiting was coming to an end; Ryu was due to return soon to meet him in this alleyway. He brushed away the crystals that had collected atop his hair, following with the light covering of fresh snow on his dark pullover. Footsteps sounded not far from the alley and he turned in preparation. 

A flash of dark grey flew at him and he recognised it as his coat as he snatched it from the air. His black-grey scarf followed and then there was Ryu with a solid frown at his forehead. 

"How is she?" asked Hayate, sensing that things hadn't gone as planned. 

"You know how she is. "muttered his friend as he pushed past Hayate into the alley without even so much as a glance. "Just that you didn't have to sit there and watch how much she hurt when I lied to her." 

Hayate felt the lump in his throat harden, "I thought maybe she'd be moving on with her life by now." he clutched at the scarf as he looked down, feeling the wool strain a little in his hands, " After all, it's been 3 months." 

"Then maybe she isn't as strong as you think she is." Hayate watched as the other Shinobi turned around with a scowl etched on his face. "But that's something you need to find that out for yourself, Hayate...because this is the last damn time I do something of this manner for you." Ryu turned and thrust a finger in his direction, "Another thing. Don't **Ever** forget that I'm a married man. Even Shinobi have a conscience." The Hayabusa Shinobi flicked his hand away to vanish from sight, leaving a cloud of expanding leaves that washed over Hayate before scattering through the alley. 

His mind was in turmoil; Perhaps he'd underestimated the complexity of the whole situation. He hadn't meant to put his friend in such predicament and just hadn't known his sister's mental state. He still didn't know for sure; What was it she couldn't give up? Hayate slammed his palm against the wall hard, feeling plaster and brick disintegrate to dust benearth his hand as he grunted in frustration. There was nothing he could do for now. 

The Shinobi let out a sigh of defeat before wrapping his scarf about and slipping on his coat. At first he thought Ryu hadn't delivered the gift box still in the pocket. He slid the cover off, finding his sister's prized yellow ribbon within, sweet scented with her perfume. And in the centre, a fresh petal from a cherry blossom. Hayate lifted the ribbon from the box, closing his eyes as the pain of missing his younger sibling surged through him. He opened them once more to find a snowflake on the petal, rare, fresh, perfect for that moment. WIth a snap of his fingers he slid the box shut once more. 

_'Snowflakes, like thoughts...often lasted no more than the blink of an eye. But the memory of a snowflake, like a promise was eternal if one chose to treasure it in their minds for all eternity.'_

He'd make it up to her, if it was the last thing he did in this life. 

**FIN**   
  
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**Author's Notes:**

Ano-literally means 'That'. When used during a conversation by itself it usually denotes hesitation: Such as an 'um' or 'ah' or even in the 'Well uhhh' situation. Make sense? 

UFO Catcher - you know, those 'skilltester' machines where you try to position the mechanical claw over a certain toy to pick it up and drop it into a chute on the side? V. popular in gaming arcades. Like Ryu, I suck at them. 

Haiku - Japanese poem containing about 17 syllables. There's also a certain pattern to the structure. 

**Thank yous:**

Tiger Eyes - Well, this one's for you *^^* Rather belated Birthday gift. Sorry about the delay but well...you do know how busy I get at times. Hope you got a little something out of reading it. Once again, thanks again for 'Calling' - now to review. 

Chisha  - For spamming me endlessly on MSN, bugging me to R&R her fic (Ok ok - this is DONE!!!) and posting religiously on the DOA RP forum (Unlike SOME people!!). Admittedly, she's been pretty bloody patient. 

Xara and Melanie from 'Soul Mamas' - Kudos for some exceptional service, great chats and charming smiles all the way at my fav cafe. 

DJ Tiesto for 'Nyana - Indoor' and 'In search of Sunrise 3' - kept me going while I plugged away at this in said cafe. 

Hikaru Utada - For singing the J-pop song that got played endlessly in every shopping centre in Tokyo while I was to the point where I HAD to like it (and use it somewhere in my writing). 

There won't be a 2nd chapter to this. It's a once off :P . For something that happens later after this fic check my other one 'A night on the town'. Hope you've all enjoyed it! Feel free to leave a review!! Thanks for the time! 


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